The Rusted Sign
by HokusKaeru49
Summary: It's been Ten years since Edd's been home, but now that he's back and he's brought a loud friend along with him...how will it all end? Will he forgive his former friends or will he let his long standing grudge keep him from reforging those friendships? Please join me for this beauty of a one shot. warning tho...i do not condone slurs of any kind against differences in people.


**Author's Note: I own the plot alone…Nat belongs to C2ndy2c1d, Rave to KiraKuryArt. My lovely little OC Deanna is my baby girl…So be nice to her please. It's her first time out there. Also I do not own EENE…just what came out of my head sorry if it sounds weird…but you guys should know me by now.**

Double D watched as the scenery changed. It'd been ten long years since he'd been home to Peach Creek. Another sigh passed his lips and a chuckle was heard from his left. He turned a scowl on his companion, who in turn just shrugged, before he let his eyes roll back toward tie window to see the rusted sign that welcomed you to Peach Creek. He popped his jaw rather loudly.

"What's the prob, dude?" The light voice of his driver asked before they continued. "I mean, come on D. Something's buggin that smart ass brain of yours."

"I haven't been home in ten years, Dean." He started. "I haven't spoken to any of them since I left. I basically ran away."

"Can they blame ya?" Dean asked moving the pink stand of hair behind her ear. "D, they wasn't doing ya any favors by lettin them dicks bully ya for being gay. Sides sugar, they loss is my gain."

The wink she exaggeratedly gave him had a small smirk pull in his face.

"Now you gotta chance ta show'em all you ain't that scared little nerd you used to be. You n I been friends for a long ass time babe. I gotcha back. You know dis." She said with a smile, her bright green eyes danced with mischief.

His ocean blue mimicked hers and he grinned, thankful for the braces that had taken care of his gap.

"Maybe a little fun is in order." He said with the gain in place.

Deanna 'Dean' Wallen raised an eyebrow in minute surprise. _He looks like a mad scientist._ She thought before a shudder raced down her back. _Last time he had that look I almost went to jail._

Dean turned the knob for the volume up and Edd smiled at the song that blasted out.

 _Me voy enamorando_

He nodded his head to the music and sang along to the music.

As they came to the first stop light Edd smiled to see familiar surroundings. Dean sang loudly as she turned her head to see a red headed guy, a blonde chick and a tall dark headed man stare at them. She nudged Edd and he looked before his eyes widened.

"Go." He ordered as the light turned green and Dean floored it away from the three.

She cut her eyes to her companion and he sighed. "Who're they, D?"

"Old friends." He simply said as they made their way to the house she had bought four months ago when they had decided to move to Edd's home town of Peach Creek South Carolina.

"Babe, you and I both know that 'they' are not 'old friends', so you might as well spill it. Cause _we both_ know that I'll get it outta ya sooner or later." She said with a grin and he let out an exasperated sigh.

" _Fine_." He said before he opened the door of the idling car. She turned it off and got out as he did the same. "The redhead was Kevin Barr, the blonde chick was Natasha 'Nazz' Carrington, and the _piece de resistance_ was Rolf Kelamis. Amazingly enough they seemed to be holding up fine enough. Didn't expect to see them so early on in town, though."

Dean froze for a moment before she burst into laughter at the sullen expression on his face. He gave her a flat look as she came down from her high and just let loose a couple of chuckles. "Come on, D. You can't tell me that this wouldn't be hilarious to you if it was me?" She asked and he smirked.

"I suppose you are correct. Still, it doesn't mean I want to bother with them at this moment, but sadly I had told my mother and father that I'd be by their house today in an hour. So can we at least get a cup of tea before we head over to the cul-de-sac?" He asked and she nodded as she made her way to the kitchen to make her tea.

"We're back for good, D. You know this and we have to get to the school right now anyways. We have to get you settled into your classroom and me into mine. So get your shit and let's get this party started. YOU can have your damn tea afterward. I need to change right quick and then we can head out." She said before she twirled around, her flowing skirt twisted as she did so.

He trudged behind her to change his clothes and sighed. Well, Peach Creek High, he was back. Not that he really wanted to be, but with his father taking ill, his mother needed him close to help out. He really didn't expect to see _them_ any time soon, but he smirked as they had looked confused as to why he was there to begin with.

 _ **Thirty minutes later**_

Dean pulled into the parking lot of the school and smiled to herself. She knew this was going to be a very crazy year. Her long multicolored dress leaving a trail behind her as she confidently walked into the place, her heels clicked on the linoleum floor and her companion walked with his head up beside her. Two students looked up in awe as they saw the two new teachers move about the place like they owned it.

The Principle had just walked out of the office and spotted his new teachers and waved to his secretary to come to him. "Mr. Vincent, Ms. Wallen. It's good to see you both again." He said as he held his hand out.

"Papa, how have you been?" Dean asked as she flounced over to the Principle who smiled down at the lovely young lady.

"I've been we'll, Mija." He said with a smile.

"Papa, it has been a while." Edd said with a smile of his own.

"It has, Mijo. So are you two liking how the school is looking?" Principle Wallen asked as they both nodded. When Dean and Edd had first met Principle Wallen it was only by coincidence that Dean and Loland Wallen had the same last name. Loland Wallen was a tall, lithe full mustached, Hispanic man that had a gentle smile, but a mean looking glare. When he had first became the principle at a Detroit high school, his two main supporters were the two teachers in front of him. They were new to their craft and fresh out of grad school. He had them band together all of the teachers to actually teach and make sure their students knew what they were to learn. The metal detectors at the entrance did little to deter the violence, unlike his stone cold glare.

He had taken them under his wing and when he had finally had enough he left and they split a little after he did.

Loland smiled as he turned to his secretary and spoke. "Sarah, please escort them to their respective classrooms, so they can get a grasp on what it is they will be doing day to day. Thank you." He said as he gave them both a nod and left.

Edd turned to look at the secretary and blanched. Red hair and teal eyes looked up at him in shock. "Double D?" Sarah Hill asked as he quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Sarah. If you'd be so kind to take us to our classrooms, I'd appreciate it." Edd said coolly as Sarah blushed.

Dean looked between them and smirked. She was right, this was going to be a crazy year. "Oye, Papi, maybe she'd like to have a little fun with us?" She said in her latino accent and Sarah blushed even more.

"N-no th-that's quite a-alright. How about we head on t-to the classr-rooms." Sarah stuttered as Edd smirked and hid his chuckle. He slapped Dean upside her head and she let out a laugh.

"Enough playing with the locals." Edd whispered to her and Dean rubbed the back of her head as she gave him a nod.

The moment they made it to the Art room Dean felt herself come alive. She burst into the room with more theatrics than anyone and all the students froze to look over at her. The man that was currently watching the class scowled at the drama that seemed to be about to unfold. "Excuse me. You are interrupting my class." He said as he glared up to the lady that just sat on the edge of the desk and crossed her legs. She leant backwards and gave him a flirty smirk that made him gulp a little, though he'd never admit to it. It was a new and familiar voice that had him reel back in shock.

"Dean, off the desk." A familiar tenor racked his ears and the man that sat at the desk looked over to see that Eddward Vincent stood in the doorway with a scowl on his face and his eyes glued to the lady on the desk.

"But D!" She whined as the students looked up at the pouting woman and to the stern looking man.

The woman turned to look at the man in the seat and smiled a friendly smile with an outstretched hand. "I'm Deanna Wallen, the new Art teacher."

The man stood up and shook her hand in awe. "Deanna Wallen? The Deanna Wallen, the artist? My name is James Cute, but you can call me Rave." He said as he shook her hand and spoke a mile a minute.

Sarah blanched at the sight. She'd never heard Rave say more than six words in her presence, but here he was shaking a lady's hand as he spoke a mile a minute. Edd chuckled and Rave turned to him. "How about we talk later on tonight. Just the three of us. Since I haven't see you since high school." Rave said and Edd just nodded as Dean frowned.

Sarah looked to Add and spoke softly. "Mom will be happy to see you and so will Ed."

Dean's frown deepened and her deep green eyes cut to him as she huffed. "Well, we gotta get going home. I shall see you all in the morn." She said sweetly before she stalked over to Edd and pulled on his tie to drag him back into the hall.

Sarah squeaked and looked to Rave who had a deep frown on his face. "Get back to work." He barked before he put out a mass text to all his friends.

 _Double D is back!_

Kevin felt his phone buzz as the sounds of the lockers banged around him. He looked over to see as Rolf pulled his from his pocket. The two men looked at their phones and then looked to each other in shock.

"So it was him in that car with the pink headed girl." Rolf mused as Kevin nodded.

"Why are they here?" Kevin asked aloud and a voice spoke from the doorway.

"They are the new Science and Art teachers." Rolf and Kevin looked back to see Nat standing there with a grin. "Rave was in a fit when she just flounced into the Art classroom and sat on the desk like she owned it. Apparently her name is Deanna Wallen."

Kevin sputtered before he croaked out, "Deanna Wallen? The Artist?"

"One and the same." Nat said with a smile.

"How do they know each other?" Rolf asked with a frown.

"Don't know, but question is how close are they?" Nat asked as Kevin's eyes shot to him.

"What do you mean?" Kevin asked with curiosity.

"Rave said she pulled him out by his tie and said they had to get _home_." Nat said and Kevin felt his heart break.

"Jason, you're all dismissed. Head on home boys." Kevin said as his captain smiled and nodded.

"Dewayne, you all too." Rolf said as the boys whooped and hurried to grab their things.

The moment they were alone Kevin grabbed Nat and drug him down to his level on the bench. "What else did Rave say?"

"He said that he was going to their house to talk. About what? I don't know. But I have it on good authority that Edd, as he likes to be called, wants nothing to do with us." Nat said sadly.

A buzz from Nat's phone in his hand had them all staring at it. Nat opened the message from Rave and his jaw dropped. Rolf and Kevin were stunned. A voice floated from the video message.

"Listen here you little drama shit. Keep your goons away from my boy. If I catch any of you harassing him, I'll cut you. I know how to make it look like an accident. Don't think just cause I'm slim and pretty I can't drop you. Trust me, I grew up in Brazil. I could drop you faster than lightening lights up the sky. You can believe that. I won't have you all screwing up the progress I had to make in college. I'm the one that had to keep him from falling apart. You will learn before this is all over that I don't take kindly to fakers. And that, sugar, is all you are. A faker. I'll let you have your moment with him, but do anything funny and I can show you just how good of an _actor_ I am." Dean said as the screen went blank.

Kevin, Rolf and Nat gulped. Who was this chick? Why was she so protective of _their_ friend? Who did she think she was talking to Rave that way?

"What the fuck is this shit?" Kevin asked loudly and angrily. "Who the hell does she think she is?"

Rolf whistled low and Nat shook his head. Ten years and Kevin still held a flame for Edd. What happened senior year was one of the worst things he'd ever seen? The fact that none of them were there for Edd was a hard pill to swallow, even now. They should have been there for him, but they weren't. They all thought they'd be back in time before anything could happen. But they were wrong, oh so wrong.

Kevin looked to Nat and sighed sadly. "I can't let him get away from me again."

"We should have been there." Rolf said sadly.

"Yeah, but we weren't. He's back and we can try to get to know him now." Nat said as he tried to look on the bright side.

 **Meanwhile**

Dean listened as Rave and Edd caught up on what each other had been up too. She frowned as Rave tried to get Edd to talk about his college life.

She walked back into the room and looked to Edd and saw the uncomfortable look in his eyes, that if you really didn't know him you wouldn't see it. She smiled at him and gave him a wink as he sighed.

"Look, James, you and I both know that the only reason you're here is to be nosy and give _them_ some kind of gossip. You want to know what happened I'll tell you so I don't have to tell it over and over. After you all left me behind, as usual, at the school Elise, Danna, Joshua, Raven and Randall showed up. Rolf and the others told me that they'd be right back to get me, as at the time you know I had a broken leg. I ended up tied to that damn flagpole with the words 'fag', 'nerd', and 'dork' written in lipstick all over me. That day was one of my breaking points. I had had enough. So I took off when Principle Leon got me untied and a blanket around me. When I got home, no one said a thing. Ed and Eddy acted like it was nothing and brushed it off. Kevin told me to get tougher and suck it up. Rolf wouldn't even look at me. You said _nothing_ , Rave! Not a fucking word! Nat just shut up like it meant nothing. All I wanted was my friends to help me through this and what do you all do? Nothing. You all just basically washed your hands of me. So I did the same in return. Now you are free to go." Edd said as he got up and went to his room.

"I told you. You can tell them all this if you want. At this point I don't give a shit, but keep them away from my boy. You can let yourself out." Dean said as she walked quickly to the back room that Edd had gone to.

Rave sat there and for the first time in a loooong time. He _cried._ He cried for his former best friend's pain and hurt. He cried for the pain that he had inadvertently help cause. He cried for all the trauma his friend went through alone, because they were all too scared to talk to him about it. He stood up and walked to the door. A hand on his shoulder stopped him in his tracks.

"I'm fiercely protective of him and I hate seein him cry. But those tears I seen from you were real tears and for that I'm willing to get him to try and see you more. I can't promise you anything, but hurt him again and I will make sure you disappear." She warned as she nodded to her. She patted his shoulder and pushed him past the threshold and closed the door.

Rave called Nat and asked him in a shaky voice to come pick him up and get the cul-de-sac together.

Nat shook himself as the voice of his strong man was wavering in a ways he'd never heard. He looked to Kevin and Rolf and told them what Rave said and Kevin sent out a text to all his friends to head over to Nat and Rave's home.

 **Thirty minutes later**

Sarah sat on Jimmy's lap on the plush chair as Ed had May in his on the chair next to them. Eddy and Lee sat on the long sofa with Nazz and Kevin as Rolf sat on the arm. Johnny sat next to Nazz's legs with Marie by his side as Rave started in on the story. By the end of the story they were all in a funk. Rave's quivering voice had shocked them all, but they now knew why he was so hurt.

"We should have stayed. I knew Elise was gonna do something. She was being super nice that day." Nazz grumbled as she cried.

"We should have done that, but we didn't. We just cared about ourselves. We were selfish." Kevin said as his tears rolled. Rolf patted his arm and wiped his own eyes. Nat looked up to keep the tears in his eyes from falling. Eddy had his face buried in Lee's back as she hung her head. Marie turned and placed her head in Nazz's lap as her tears escaped. May turned a placed her face in Ed's neck.

"Dean told me that because my tears were genuine when I cried in their living room she'd be on my side. You all? I don't know. She's really protective of him. She knows him. She's been there with him for the last ten years." Rave said as everyone gaped at him. "I'm just telling you all what I know and seen."

 **On the other side of town**

Dean laid down next to Edd and rubbed his head. His curls were in need of a good brush again. "How about we go get a haircut?" She asked as he looked up at her with puffy red eyes.

"All of it?" He asked warily.

"No!" She gasped. "Not all of it. Just some of it. You're in need of a good brush or cut…you chose."

"I think an inch would be good." He said and she smiled lovingly down at him.

"I think so too." She said as she moved him so she could lay down beside him on the bed. "You need to get up. We missed that date with your mom and dad, so we need to get over there to see them."

He nodded but didn't move. She just shrugged and pulled him closer. "Do you need me tonight?"

"No, I'll be fine." He said as he leaned over to kiss her head before he laid back and placed his arm under his head and held her close to him with the other.

"Okay." She said in a big yawn. I'm gonna take a nap." She said and promptly fell asleep. He sniffed and then yawned too. He closed his eyes to think and drifted off into a dream world of nothingness.

 **Three months later**

Edd blinked wearily at the sight in front of him. Rave and Dean were joking about some of the mediocre actors in Hollywood in recent years over a cup of hot coffee. Rave seemed to be genuine in his interest and in rebuilding his friendship with Edd. But Edd had a hard time trusting people. It took Dean the better part of two years to gain his trust completely and she's the only one that got and kept his trust and enforced it whenever she could.

He got to know her completely and they argued like an old married couple. Their friends in Detroit used to ask why they weren't together. They'd laugh and carry on, because in reality it was not any of their business how they conducted themselves. They were a team and each other's wingman. She knew his type and did her best to fix him up. He knew her type and did the same in return. They were two sides of one coin and like night and day, but they worked together cohesively.

Edd rolled over and looked at the blinking red lights of his alarm clock and sighed. _5:22_ it read and he groaned. He was having the best dream and the blaring of that damn clock moved him awake before he could finish. He looked over to see a silhouette in the doorway that snickered at him as it shamelessly stared below his waist.

"Good morning, big boy." She giggled as Edd rolled his eyes.

"Morning, why are you up so early? It's Saturday!" He asked as a yawn took over his face.

"I, my lovely little padawan, am going out for coffee this morning with the basketball coach. Because apparently Rolf wants to 'get to know me'." She said as a smirk graced her full lips.

"So, Rolf's strategy is to get to you to get to me?" Edd asked as Dean shrugged in a non-committal way.

"Probably, but let's just go have a little fun at their expense. Rave's got a mean right hook though." Dean said in a giggle.

Edd shook his head and smiled a little fondly at his hot pink headed friend. "What about a different color?" Edd mused as Dean looked thoughtful.

"Come on, if we leave now we can get to the city and back in time for my coffee date with Rolf." She said as she ran to her room and slammed her door. Edd quickly got up and moved with a gracefulness a ballet dancer would envy. He was always graceful, yet so purposeful in his movements.

The moment they were in Peach City Deanna Wallen smiled ruefully. She knew today was gonna be a blast. She called Rolf and invited him to join her and Edd for the day. Edd was okay with this considering that he had actually been trying to really get to know him again. Rave had weaseled his way back into his heart over the past three months. One at a time seemed okay, it was when they were all together that he felt all their pity directed towards him and he hated it.

"It is okay I invited him, right, D?" Dean asked as Edd gave a genuine smile.

"It's fine Dean." He said as she smiled back to him. He knew Rolf was slowly stealing her heart and he'd been so gentle with it, that Edd knew she would be in capable hands. He was scared of how he'd react if his buffer was really gone, but he felt he had a good grasp on things right now that he'd be okay enough.

She smiled to him sweetly and kissed his cheek as she turned to see Rolf as he walked into the building. "Rolf!" She squeaked and waved him over to them. The man in question looked up to see the beautiful woman that had started to slowly take over his feelings. He made his way over and ignored all the other women in the place as his eyes never strayed from her big, bright green orbs. She smiled at him and looked back to Edd, who rolled his eyes at her antics, before she gave the tall man a hug. "Thanks for coming."

"I am pleased to be here." He said, his accent had toned down a lot. He turned to Edd and nodded. "It's good to see you, Edd."

"It's good to see you too Rolf." Edd said with a small smile.

Rolf looked down at the girl that was smiling up at him and then back to his former friend in confusion. "What is going on here?"

"A new color is in order. I'm thinking a dark, deep Red, like the little mermaid or a really dark purple. I'm not sure and Brainiac over here decides he doesn't like either color. Wants me to go back to being a brunette, but I need the expression of color in my life unlike him." She said as Rolf's eyes widened at her. "What do you think? Orange will wash out my skin and make me look weird. Green would match the eyes, but not like I want. Blonde is a big no-no. So that leaves either Deep Navy blue, but Edd said no, or neon green."

"The purple I think would be lovely, if done correctly." Rolf said as Edd squinted his eyes at his friend and considered the look.

"I think the purple will do." Edd said before he snapped his fingers. "Ombre!"

The smile in her eyes lit up Rolf's heart as she squealed and bounded over to her best friend and best everything in that moment. She kissed his cheek and hugged him tightly. "See, now I know why we were two peas in a pod in school." She said as laughed loudly.

"Yes, because us being neighbors had nothing to do with it." Edd deadpanned as Rolf just waited patiently.

"What were you both like then?" Rolf asked as they both laughed.

"I was really shy and didn't talk much. This one was loud and obnoxious from the day we met." Dean said as Rolf blanched. He would never imagined quiet Double D as being loud or obnoxious.

"College was a different place for me and I wanted to be different. So I became less shy and more..."

"Flamboyant?"

"Shut up. But yes I was rather open."

"He got me out of my shell and got me to start to express myself more." She said as she patted his leg.

She stood up and grabbed both of their hands to drag them after her. Edd and Rolf exchanged a look and then shrugged as they followed after her.

 **One month later**

"Come on, D." Dean begged as she got down on her knees and clasped her hands together. The two men standing behind her smirked at the sight. "Please, please, please! I haven't been out in ages. I will love you for the rest of our lives! Please, D!"

Three students looked at their art teacher and chuckled before a glare from the coach scared them off. Kevin turned to look at the sight and felt his jealousy start to blanket him. There on her knees in front of _his_ Double D was the nuisance in his side. Her snide remarks to him were just twisting in the fact that she got to talk to him and see him every day were cutting him deep. He tried to talk to him and couldn't for the life of him get him to respond. Kevin was grasping at straws. Rolf's idea was a good one, get the twosome out of the house and out on the town. Maybe Edd would talk to him outside of school and Rolf could keep the harpy away long enough for him to properly apologize.

Rave and Rolf chuckled at the sight before them. Rolf smiled down at his woman and shook his head at her silly antics.

" _Fine, Dean!_ I'll go, but only because you begged me so beautifully. The last time you begged me was for-" Edd said but Dean shot up and covered his mouth, her face red with embarrassment.

"If you _ever_ want me to participate in _that_ with you again, you'll keep your mouth shut!" She growled lowly in his ear.

They all watched as she moved back from him and he practically melted to the floor. If it wasn't for Rave moving so quick he would have fallen straight into a puddle made of Edd. "What did you do?!" Kevin asked as he moved to pick Edd up.

"Don't touch him." She said with a fierce look on her face and he froze. She moved to Edd and touched his face softly. "Get up you big baby."

Edd smiled at her lazily as he nodded slowly. "Okay."

It took him about ten minutes before he could stand on his own without support from Rave. He scowled over at her and she smirked. "Next time, learn to watch what you say." She turned on her heel and flounced down the hall to leave all four men gob smacked.

"Rolf, I hope you've realized what you're in for." Edd said with a smile as Rolf turned shocked eyes to his, once again, friend.

"What did you do to her?!" Rolf asked Edd rather loudly.

"Do you really want to know?" Edd asked with a shit eating smirk on his face.

"On second thought, no, I really don't." Rolf said as he shook his head and turned around before he walked away.

Edd chuckled before he turned to Rave to tell him that they'd meet them there at the club at around 10:30.

"Alright, but I kinda wanted to pick you up." Rave said as Edd looked thoughtful.

"I'll talk to Dean and see what she says, but I can't make any promises. I'm usually DD when we go out. She doesn't drink all that much." Edd said as he mentally went over his planner for the weekend. "We do have to go to out of town tomorrow, but I'm sure we'll be fine, especially if I drive. Pretty sure she's gonna be hungover and I'm gonna make it hell on her in the car."

"That's fine, just let me know." Rave said as Edd nodded and gave him a shoulder pat before he stuck his hands in his pockets and walked away.

Kevin looked to Rolf and Rave with a smile on his face. "I didn't do this for you, Kev, but everyone needs to see what Rolf and I see on a semi-daily basis." Rave said as Kevin's smile fell just a little.

"Dean's gonna be pissed if Edd doesn't open up just a little bit more. Apparently when they were in college, she was the shy one and he got her to open up more." Rolf said as Rave and Kevin blanched.

"What?" They asked in unison.

"Yeah, it seems that she had just moved back to the states from Brazil and didn't know how to open up to anyone. They were neighbors in the dorms and he was very 'flamboyant' she said. She also said that he got her to try things she'd never have tried. They went bungee jumping at his insistence, then went sky diving because 'it looked fun'. I don't know it was weird. I would have never thought of Double D to be that way." Rolf said as he ran a hand through his hair. "He said college was a different place for him and he wanted to be different."

"She said that he beat the shit out of a guy that tried to rape her one night and that's how the two started to hang out." Rave said as he thought back to one of the many coffee dates she and he had.

"She didn't tell me that." Rolf said as Rave gave him a look.

"Would you tell someone that if you were trying to get to know them?" Rave asked and Rolf hung his head.

"No, no I wouldn't." Rolf replied quietly.

Kevin looked over to Rave and saw a fierceness he's never seen before. It was a protectiveness that he'd seen when he would stand up for Edd in high school. Rave turned away and took off down the hall. Kevin and Rolf sighed before they too took off back to the locker rooms.

 **That night**

Edd looked over the people that surrounded him. All of them were there. Nazz and Marie danced with each other with kisses in-between. Johnny, Jimmy and Sarah were talking amongst themselves. Rolf and Dean danced closely. Kevin stood beside him. Nat and Rave were sucking face in the corner of the room. Edd turned around to get a drink when one was presented for him. He looked over to see Kevin right beside him. Kevin moved his hand to Edd's and looked up into his eyes.

Edd frowned a bit before Kevin pulled his hand to him. "I want to apologize, Edd. I really want you to forgive me and I know you don't. I wouldn't forgive me either. I just want to show you how much I've missed you, Edd. Will you let me show you?"

"Kevin, I know that you being away from me at that moment wasn't your fault. I know it wasn't anyone of yours fault. It was the fact that you couldn't even be in my presence after the fact. How could you just up and leave me to my own devices? That's why I've been the way I have. IT had nothing to do with the actually assault, it had to do with you all just left me alone." Edd said as he pulled his hand away from Kevin. "But, I suppose if I let Rolf and Rave back in and to some degree Sarah, I could let you as well."

Kevin grabbed his hand and pulled him to him. "This is was why I protected you so much. This is why I tried to keep you within arm's reach all the time. This, right here, is what I wanted so much when we were younger. It's been ten years that I've seen you're smiling face. Ten years since I've heard your laugh. Ten long ass years since I've seen those perfect blue eyes." Kevin said in a watery tone. "When you left, Edd. You took my heart. When that happened to you it broke my heart and I couldn't face you due to my own cowardice."

Edd looked up into those brilliant emerald eyes and melted at the sight of tears that tried their damnedest to not fall, but failed. He moved his free hand up and wiped the lone tear that fell and then cupped the man's cheek. "All you had to do was talk to me, Kevin."

Kevin smiled sadly and nodded before he pulled him closer and hugged him tight. "I'm so sorry, Edd." He said as a sob got lodged in his throat.

"I forgive you, Kevin. I may never forget, but I do forgive you." Edd said as he moved his head slightly to kiss the other man's neck. Kevin let out a low moan as Edd pulled him closer.

"Edd." Kevin said breathlessly as Edd continued his assault.

"You taste good." Edd said as Kevin got into it and maneuvered his head to the side to allow more access.

"Oh God! Please don't stop…feels so good." Kevin moaned out and Edd smirked.

Edd moved back to let Kevin catch his breath and turned his head to see Deanna squealing in Rolf's arms. She looked him in the eyes and mischievous green met smirking blue. _Good luck_. She mouthed as he nodded.

"Trust me?" Edd said as he held out his hand.

Kevin took one look over at Nat and then back to Edd. "Let's go." Kevin said as he grabbed his hand as Edd pulled him toward the doors.

 **Three years later**

Edd came home and found a pouting Dean on his couch. "What the hell are you doing here?" He asked as she looked up at him, pout still there.

"I'm pregnant." She said sadly.

"Oh, shit." He said before laughing at her.

"You could have been a little more sympathetic, asshole." She as she pouted more.

"Whatever, if it was me would you have been laughing too." He said as she mulled it over.

"Too true." She said in a laugh. "Hey you think I could borrow your husband?"

"Why do you need my husband?" Edd asked warily.

"I need new carpeting in my house and he's the best. I'll even pay him extra if he can have it done in two weeks." She said as Edd narrowed his eyes.

"Why do you need new carpeting?" He asked suspiciously.

"No _big_ reason." She said in a shrug, but her nervous green eyes gave her away. Her ombre green to blue hair color was playing with her eyes now.

"You spilled the paint didn't you?" He asked and she nodded solemnly.

"You do realize that he's only a football coach right?" He asked and she nodded.

"But he did Nazz's and it looks awesome. So please?!" She begged and he smirked.

"Only if you'll participate in _that_ with me again." He said with a shark grin on his face.

" _Fine!_ But this will be the last time." She said as he smiled and nodded.

"Alright, we leave in a month." He said as he listed his planner in his mind.

 **One month later**

Kevin looked over to Rolf and he shrugged. What were they doing here? At this bar in the middle of Detroit? What was Edd up to?

 _And now ladies and gents, let's give a warm welcome to returning champs of this age. Deanna Wallen-Kelamis and Eddward Vincent-Barr._

Kevin froze when Dean and Edd walked to the middle of the bar and took up the mic. Where they going to sing? His question was answered two seconds later when Edd pulled out an electric violin.

Deanna pulled the mic to her mouth and her voice was beautiful. The fullness of it completely pulled at his heart strings. How could they have hidden this from them for sooo long? It seemed there were things about their spouses that he and Rolf still didn't know.

When the song came to a conclusion autographs were signed and pictures were taken. It seemed that everyone knew them. One man's speech held everyone's attention.

"Edd, you and I have been friends for a long time. You and Dean had been there for me through everything. So as a thank you since you two knuckleheads didn't give me your address. I'm going to give you this here. Plus we still need to keep in touch. So for my best girl and my best man, here you go." The well-dressed man of 6'3 inches said before he handed Dean a gift bag and Edd a jewelry box that was bigger than his hand. "Remember I love you both and we had some great times. This is my thank you. So Dean you can't return it."

Deanna opened the bag and squealed before she jumped into the man's open arms and kissed his cheek. "Thank you so much! I love it." She said before she pulled out a giant Hawaiian print dress. Rolf's eyes blanched at how happy she was.

Edd opened his gift and he, also, jumped into the man's arms as he kissed his cheek. "Andy where did you find it?" He asked as Kevin moved toward his husband to get a better look at what 'it' was. When Kevin looked at Edd's hand he saw a one of a kind trading card for one of his husband's nerdy games.

"It wasn't too hard to find, but I'm glad I could do it. You helped me out a lot Edd. I couldn't have asked Karen to marry me if you hadn't." He said as he hugged Edd tightly.

Said wife was laughing at the display. "You do realize that's from me too, Edd?"

"Karen, thank you baby chick." He said as she hugged him too.

"You're welcome Papa bird." She said in his chest.

"What about me?" Dean cried as Karen pulled her to her.

"I could never forget about my bestie. Besides you need to keep in touch from now on. We'll come visit when we can." She said as Dean made her promise.

"This is my husband, Rolf Kelamis. Rolf this is part of our little family here in Detroit. Karen and Andy London." Dean introduced them.

"And this is my husband Kevin Barr." Edd said as Karen and Andy smiled widely.

"So you finally did it huh? Was wondering if you were ever gonna tie the knot, Edd."

"Yep, I did." He said with a big grin on his face. "Two years right now."

"Good luck in years to come." Karen said with a smile.

"Josh, Mandy and Donnie are sorry they couldn't make it. But maybe we can all come to your town and visit sometime soon." Andy said as Edd and Dean nodded in acknowledgment. "Of course we'll be there when that baby is born. That, my dear, is a given."

"Josh said if it's a boy then he's on his way down to live there. Who knows we all may end up there as well? We would've come with you if you had told us." Karen said as Andy nodded in acquiescence.

"Okay. We've got to get going. We've got an early flight back. We'll see you soon and we'll call often." Edd said as they all exchanged numbers and left.

 **NEXT DAY**

Rolf and Dean were passed out in the back seat of the car as Kevin drove them home. Edd looked out the window and smiled at the rusted sign that welcomed you to Peach Creek. He would always be happy to have come back even if he didn't want to be there in the beginning. He had his friends back, his best friend and his husband. He'd always be happy with the knowledge that he'd given them a second chance.


End file.
